(TREES, LIFE FOR GREEN EARTH)

By; Mohd Aiem Bin Bakrin

Honestly, I am very nervous right now. But, it is not a reason for me to stop sharing
knowledge. Well, this is my first time being on stage.
Assalamualaikum and a very good morning I bid to The Panel of Adjudicators, The loyal
Time Keeper, My fellow competitors and last but not least ladies and gentlemen. Having to
witness our bold world nowadays, I encourage myself to stand on this huge stage in front of
all of you to speak about the green. My title today is TREES, LIFE FOR GREEN EARTH.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me start with a rhetorical question. Can you put a price tag on a tree? Those who
sell timber for paper and other products certainly do, but what about the worth of a living
tree? When you add it all up, a trees price is incalculable, right?
Next, what are the benefits of trees? Let me share a few.
First trees reduce crime. Ya!, you heard me correctly. Neighbourhoods with abundant
trees have significantly fewer crimes than those without. Researchers think that this is
because green spaces have a calming effect and encourage people to spend more with their
neighbours outdoors, bolstering community trust.
Second, it is about our mental health. Feeling down? Take a walk in the woods.
Several studies have found that access to nature yields better cognitive functioning, more
self-discipline, and greater mental health overall. One study even found that hospital patients
who can see trees out their windows are hospitalized 8 percent fewer days than their
counterparts.
Finally, wildlife habitat. In Malaysia, we have interesting and unique wildlife such as
rhinos, sun bear, orang utan, pygmy elephant and the Proboscis Monkey. They are unique
because these animals are on the verge of extinction and they are our pride! Wildlife use trees
for food, shelter, nesting, and mating. These habitats support the incredible variety of living
things on the planet, known as biodiversity. By protecting trees, we actually are saving all the
other plants and animals they shelter.
Now, let me bring you to another important issue. Urbanization; urbanization is
expanding all over the world. Big buildings are built up until they reach the sky. It is such a
glory for all of us who want to progress and modernize the world. Well, just like anything that
exists in this world. Everything must come for a reason.

Let me give you a simple analogy; drugs are needed and very useful to create
medicine for our own health, but once it is taken beyond the limit, it will give harms and even

kill us. Same goes for our trees, there are many benefits of trees such as to provide lands
for the sake of urbanization, to have handicraft and even the furniture in our house but sadly,
once the trees are gone, I am sure that all of us know what will happen next; Global warming,
green house effects, flood, landslide and even extinction will occur. It is the end of our
beloved world, doomsday some might call it.
Ladies and gentlemen,
When I was a small kid, about 4 or 5 years old, I used to play in the forest near my
house. I loved picking the rubber seeds, wild berries and fruits and then share them with my
siblings. My cousins and I even built our own tree house to watch wild animals at night. We
could see owls, monkeys and big lizards. All those cute animals were on their way back home
to feed their young. Then, one day, tractors from nowhere came and destroyed our woods.
They simply took away the home of those animals; pulling the trees and clearing the land
mercilessly. The woods that provide all valuable assets had gone in a blink of an eye!
The reason is just a simple matter, ladies and gentlemen. It is Money. The forest that I
used to know with serenity now changes into a very busy, noisy and dusty urban. I
remembered crying while watching the whole incident. Nonetheless, thanks God, a new
contractor came and changed the landscape. He started to plant trees and flowers all over the
area. Finally, it had transformed into a beautiful city with lots of trees and flowers.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My point from this story is trees are the one and only treasure that can cheer and
make our world beautiful. It cannot be denied that urbanization and modernization is needed
for our world to reach its pinnacle, or a Utopia state but try to imagine just for a moment,
close your eyes and ask yourself what is the meaning of modernization yet people are living
in misery. No greeneries, no oxygen from the trees? I believe all of the audience here agree
with me modernization is meaningless!
So, it is no doubt that trees, is the soul and life for green earth! Happy Earth Day to
all. Thank you.